Dawna Friesen: The world could use a love story right now

By
Dawna Friesen Global News

WATCH ABOVE: It feels like the world could use a love story right about now: an old-fashioned romance that blossoms into a regal walk down the aisle. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are about to deliver that, and as Dawna Friesen explains, you'd have to be pretty hard-hearted not to share at least some of the joy of the moment.

Their wedding has it all — the castle, the prince, the carriage, the fevered speculation about the dress, and the promise of pomp and pageantry.

Only the British can pull off with dignity and perfection. Oh, and the drama about the rift in the bride’s family. And because it will be watched around the world, you don’t have to be one of the 600 invited guests to see it all unfold.

It is one of those rare moments in our increasingly hectic and turbulent world when we can set aside cynicism for a few hours and watch two people in love solemnly swear to devote themselves to each other until death do they part.

There are those who dismiss the whole thing as an expensive anachronism, and wonder what’s the big deal about a real-life actor marrying into a family whose life plays out like the longest-running soap opera in history?

Outspoken writer and feminist Germaine Greer, for example, predicted on Australian television in April that Markle will bolt once she joins the royal family and is faced with “vistas of boredom that are unbelievable.”

Who knows whether the marriage will last? The family’s track record on marital longevity isn’t great.

WATCH: Royal Wedding quiz – How well do Canadians know the British Royal Family?

But marriage is a leap of faith. A brave and bold act between two people. And for one day at least, why not rejoice in a once troubled young man who lost his mother and who has said being a prince is both a blessing and a curse, marry a woman who is about as unconventional a royal bride as they come?

The world could use some faith in the human spirit right now. Harry and Meghan’s wedding won’t be life-changing for anyone but them.

For the rest of us, it is simply a moment to celebrate two people in love, and that itself feels refreshing and welcome.